Posted on 06/29/2006 1:07:30 PM PDT by rawhide
A 5-month-old baby died in a minivan Wednesday after the mother apparently forgot to drop the child off at day care.
The tragedy was discovered about 5:30 p.m. outside the Wonder Years 2 day care. The baby's mother stopped at the day care after work to pick up the child and was told by staff that the baby had not been dropped off. She realized then that the baby had been in her minivan all day.
"The mother had forgotten to drop off the child at day care in the morning," said Curt Kreun, owner of Wonder Years 2. "She actually came in the building to pick up the child and then realized what had happened."
The child was in a car seat in the back of the vehicle, according to Sgt. Jeff Burgess of the Grand Forks Police Department. A Wonder Years 2 staff member made the 911 call, according to Kreun.
(Excerpt) Read more at grandforks.com ...
When I have kids someday I'm sure I'll be terrified of doing something like this.
That's WHY it happens. It doesn't make the stupidity "excusable". But she wouldn't have made this mistake if she had the option of switching off the airbag and keeping the baby beside her. Why aren't we allowed to make these decisions for ourselves?
Which is why mothers should probably make a decision: bringing up my baby, becoming symbiotic with him, OR focusing on my career.
A stay-at-home mom also gets tired and forgetful. But she is so in tune with her baby that she would, could, never forget him in the car. The opposite tends to happen. I find myself in the carpool lane and remember that for once my baby is NOT with me, get a red face, and hop out of that lane.
Why didn't the kiddie kennel employees call mom to ask where the baby was that day?
What a concept!
Actually, see post 153 or thereabouts. There's a way for cars with car alarms to have a baby seat monitor set off the car alarm if the car key goes out of range.
Just like you can buy and program a new car alarm remote, a baby seat alert could be programmed to be able to set off the car alarm using the "panic" button code.
Thanks for the info. on that bill, I will be calling my Reps. tomorrow. And please know that lowering taxes or whatever needs to be done has always been on the top of my agenda and is something I have always spoken about with my Reps. when I call them. I want to do everything possible to make it easier for moms to stay home with their babies.
LOL! You're gonna get flamed for that.
I doubt she's a monster too, however, I think this type of horrifying incident points to one of the problems with daycare. It occurred to no one to question the whereabouts of a 5-month old for an entire day. If no one sees that as a problem, our society is completely screwed.
I'd like to think at a bare minimum that a daycare/ school would call all available numbers if a child did not show up when expected. And I also think it's terribly sad that any mom or dad would need a phone call from a stranger to remind them about their baby, but I realize that is reality for some.
Judgemental aren't we....
All I'm saying is that your analogy is faulty, unless she is indeed driving with that cash every day. I'm not excusing the mother here in any way. In fact, I'm the one on this thread saying that SHE is responsible for this tragedy and no one else. Not the "nanny state". Not the car manufacturer.
Personally, I don't understand how one could forget a 5-month old in the backseat. Then again, I've not had the experience of being responsible for one so young, so I'm a little hesitant to pass swift judgment on the mother here and condemn her to hell. I do understand the concept that it would be a little easier to forgot something of great value in the backseat IF it was there every day, as opposed to one time.
Do you get it now?
WHOA!
THOSE are both EXCELLENT ideas - an they should be printed, shouted, mailed, on TV - so that EVERYONE can get the idea!
I know you are going to catch a lot of flack for your comment, but I completely agree with you. As a single mom that made bad choices early and had to work to feed my kids and not having the choice to stay home with my kids for those first few years, I know what I missed.
If there is a breadwinner, one parent should make every effort to stay home with their child(ren). If you even just stay home until you put them in school, that is 5 years. Five years is nothing, give up those years of income, and the rewards will be immeasurable.
I am raising my kids with that value. Go to school, get a job, live some life, save. Then, when you are stable & secure, have kids.
And finally, if possible, if you do find yourself in a situtaion where this isn't possible, live near family.
but almost without exception the parents who outsource their parental responsibilities to strangers are those whose priorities are themselves, their material possessions, and their social life.
Perhaps I just live in an area where the situation is exactly reversed, where the exception is the material-obsessed parent.
I don't see raving- I see opinions. NO one here has any power in this situation, but we can post our feelings about it.
Just tell me if ' whoops' would cut it in the following scenarios?
" I forgot the baby in the bathtub, and it drowned."
" I forgot to feed the baby for three days, and it died."
" I forgot to give my baby its prescription medicine, and it died."
Death is the important thing here. Death by NEGLIGENCE whether intentional, through stupidity, or ' whoops'. Why not just allow every parent one ' whoops' death of a child, for whatever reason?
I am of the opinion that anyone who causes a helpless child to DIE because they were NEGLIGENT should not be allowed another shot with another baby. A baby is a valuable human being, with a right to live, or it's not. Tragic 'accident' or not- if it causes DEATH, should there not be some consequence beyond sympathy for the negligent parent?
And if we're never supposed to 'judge'- why do we have a judicial system. Societies judge their own, and set standards for behavior.
My OPINION is that this mother should not be allowed any more babies, and I'd say that if it were my own sister. I
wouldn't care if she liked it- that would still be my opinion.
A temp alarm could be made for a few dollars and could be attached to existing car seats via a few straps.
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